[Archived] Blackburns Marks And Spencers

[JAL]

It's all closing the door after the horse has bolted. The shoppers with most spending power have departed in disgust and will not be persuaded back easily. Because of this the 'better' shops have closed their doors and gone too leaving the pound shops and video game swap shops. Redressing this situation is unlikley and is now a matter of the chicken and the egg.

Because of board censorship policy I cannot say why this has occurred but there is no need for me to expand upon this because everybody knows why it is and if they don't they have only to ask around.

Islamaphobia Theno?

Socialist w@nk dogs ?

Or poor grammer school ex - QEGS pupils ?

Fully understand any of the above Thenodrog

[dopper69]

Primark and TK Hughes will be overflowing with swamp donkeys and pram faces 9-5. Much better to have an M&S

[JAL]

Primark and TK Hughes will be overflowing with swamp donkeys and pram faces 9-5. Much better to have an M&S

True, thats why its vitally important that whoever pulled the £5-6m re-instates this in order to get M&S in place.

Plus Blackburn keeps out any North West racist dickheads who have money - we dont need them.

[adopted scouser]

Always makes me laugh when it's referred to as 'The Mall'. Serious delusions of grandeur as more and more high street brands pack up and leave, ushering in such quality tenants as 'The Works', 'Poundland' or 'B&M' (bargains for morons).

It's simply a case of supply and demand. JAL it's laughable to suggest that the inclusion of an M&S would encourage those with higher disposable income to shop in the town. Most of M&S's customer base would feel uncomfortable in Blackburn town centre on a Saturday afternoon. An abundance of trashy white chavs and groups of swaggering asian males will see them scurrying to the Trafford centre in their Rover 75's.

Hilarious that the ludicrously titled 'Blackburn with Darwen' council can't even persuade companies to invest under the auspices of a 'sweetheart' deal. Maybe M&S could be Millionaire & Slumdog ? Just a thought.

[yoda]

Blackburn in the 70s was Vibrant compared by today and I dont remember any poverty ..Certainly from the going out perspective.You could go on a dozen different pub crawls all different with no shortage of late drinking holesclubs to end up at..and that included midweek also...For live music..Regent on Mondays nights was a fav of mine,SettEnd,the Lodestar (often wonder if punk started here) .and many others had midweek stuff..

The Boomtown Rats played their 1st gig at the Lodestar, Margaret was still Margaret then and used to get some good bands on, it was a good night when the Rats played

[Ewood Spark]

True, thats why its vitally important that whoever pulled the £5-6m re-instates this in order to get M&S in place.

Plus Blackburn keeps out any North West racist dickheads who have money - we dont need them.

You're better off not getting involved in an argument with some of the dollopers on here JAL ... they are the "waggy's" of this thread ... contributing as little as possible to the local economy, talking the place down at every opportunity .. whilst trying to convince everyone who cares to listen that their nasty little agenda is somehow the accepted mainstream view. I think your last sentence contained more than a grain of truth ... it's no surprise that the chief antagonists on this thread are the same ones who crawl out of their grubby little holes whenever an issue of race appears on this board. Ignore them.

[thenodrog]

Islamaphobia Theno?

Socialist w@nk dogs ?

Or poor grammer school ex - QEGS pupils ?

Fully understand any of the above Thenodrog

No. Haven't a clue what you are on about. Jibberish.

If you need clarification then please remember I just tell it how it is.

[thenodrog]

You're better off not getting involved in an argument with some of the dollopers on here JAL ... they are the "waggy's" of this thread ... contributing as little as possible to the local economy, talking the place down at every opportunity .. whilst trying to convince everyone who cares to listen that their nasty little agenda is somehow the accepted mainstream view. I think your last sentence contained more than a grain of truth ... it's no surprise that the chief antagonists on this thread are the same ones who crawl out of their grubby little holes whenever an issue of race appears on this board. Ignore them.

Tell you what Neil rather than opinionate please tell us how you would start to redress the balance and make Blackburn Mall attractive to people with the necessary spending power which will attract the better shops will bring in the best rent and rates and actually make it profitable in both the short and the long term?

As for you Jal you obviously do not possess a grain of commercial nous. Ask any shopkeeper whether the political beliefs of their customers is important. They will take money of anybody and everybody in order to survive. The retail sector is suffering desperately because whether you understand it or not we are in one deep recession and silly political stances will not pay any wages or bills.

[JAL]

You're better off not getting involved in an argument with some of the dollopers on here JAL ... they are the "waggy's" of this thread ... contributing as little as possible to the local economy, talking the place down at every opportunity .. whilst trying to convince everyone who cares to listen that their nasty little agenda is somehow the accepted mainstream view. I think your last sentence contained more than a grain of truth ... it's no surprise that the chief antagonists on this thread are the same ones who crawl out of their grubby little holes whenever an issue of race appears on this board. Ignore them.

Do we not need to hear their thoughts for us to find the solution to the problems Ewood Spark.

We are almost bankrupt but with hard work and dedication aided with a clear vision of were we want to be, this should take us a long, long, way in future.

[Ewood Spark]

Tell you what Neil rather than opinionate please tell us how you would start to redress the balance and make Blackburn Mall attractive to people with the necessary spending power which will attract the better shops will bring in the best rent and rates and actually make it profitable in both the short and the long term?

Well first and foremost I actually "walk the walk" as well as "talk the talk" and keep my spending power ,as much as possible, in the borough. Second ... I think the council's idea of an up-market er.. market might just be the innovative idea to get some of the Ribble Valley dollar back in town. Third ... get decently paid office workers based in the center, lets face it this is what Preston did when it won the 'Willy Wonka' ticket back in '72 of being chosen as the base for Lancashire County council ... the proposed Cathedral Quarter development may just be the thing that attracts them ... (I notice that the proposed Promethean headquarters is being touted as a possible tenant ... a blue chip company in the mix won't do any harm). Fourth ... whoever had the vision for the orbital route should receive a medal ... perseverance against a tide of irrationality from the down-right thick is at last bearing fruit ... watch the former dead zone around the Fire Station become a major development area in the coming years. But hey if you prefer to dwell on the negative ... none of this is going to change your mind.

[thenodrog]

'Willy Wonka' ticket back in '72 of being chosen as the base for Lancashire County council ...

Fourth ... whoever had the vision for the orbital route should receive a medal ... perseverance against a tide of irrationality from the down-right thick is at last bearing fruit ... watch the former dead zone around the Fire Station become a major development area in the coming years. But hey if you prefer to dwell on the negative ... none of this is going to change your mind.

Not all that impressive considering that the orbital route first hit the drawing board 4 years earlier in 1968! Harold Wilson was PM, England were the World Cup holders and man had not walked on the moon! Just 42 years to get a road approx 75% around a tiny town centre! Just think ES at the current rate of progress we'll be able to queue interminably at red traffic lights all the way around Blackburn by the year 2024!

..... Barring yet more intervention by English Heritage of course.

[colin]

You're better off not getting involved in an argument with some of the dollopers on here JAL ... they are the "waggy's" of this thread ... contributing as little as possible to the local economy, talking the place down at every opportunity .. whilst trying to convince everyone who cares to listen that their......agenda is somehow the accepted mainstream view.

Goodness, who on earth could that be?

[thenodrog]

Goodness, who on earth could that be?

Obviously isn't me colin, ES responded to my post.

btw ES Re: whoever had the vision for the orbital route should receive a medal

They'd better be quick if they don't want it to be posthumous. It wont do to wait until it is actually completed. I'm told the chap was given the task in 1968 and as far as I understand has now retired.

[JAL]

M&S are now looking at the possibilities of moving into part of the B&Q warehouse, which is looking to downsize the size of its store here in Blackburn.

[thenodrog]

M&S are now looking at the possibilities of moving into part of the B&Q warehouse, which is looking to downsize the size of its store here in Blackburn.

Says a lot about M&S's vision of Blackburn's future eh? I'm told that few of the current market traders are going to move so the market as we know it might soon be past history.

As soon as any major bank moves to an out of town retail park they can have my business too. Drive in banking has got to be good for all but the town centre businesses. If that becomes reallity then losing the banks will just about kill the centre off entirely.

[JAL]

Says a lot about M&S's vision of Blackburn's future eh? I'm told that few of the current market traders are going to move so the market as we know it might soon be past history.

As soon as any major bank moves to an out of town retail park they can have my business too. Drive in banking has got to be good for all but the town centre businesses. If that becomes reallity then losing the banks will just about kill the centre off entirely.

True.

What i'm hearing now is with M&S looking at this out of the town centre facility, they want upwards of £10m to move into the Mall rather than the original £6m. So M&S arent stupid, so it looks like Blackburn council will have to up the financial stakes. If M&S move out of town, then others will follow leaving the town centre officially dead.

[thenodrog]

True.

What i'm hearing now is with M&S looking at this out of the town centre facility, they want upwards of £10m to move into the Mall rather than the original £6m. So M&S arent stupid, so it looks like Blackburn council will have to up the financial stakes. If M&S move out of town, then others will follow leaving the town centre officially dead.

Cat and mouse. It speaks volumes about the future prospects for Blackburn centre. If it was a commercial 'go er' then M&S would be begging to move in.

Oh well, no use crying over spoilt milk. Truth is that no one listened when they should have done did they?